There has never before been a Rust Belt Discussion Group at the MLA, Not all of the Midwest is de-industrialized. Arcelor-Mittal Steel is producing as much steel in East Chicago as in peak years, but now is owned by an Indian firm.

This call for participation reaches a number of groups and why your group. Using just my background in Chicago and NW Indiana, here is some information. We reach out to colleagues in

* Creative writing about our industrial Rust Belt and efforts made by, for instance, Arcelor-Mittal Steel in East Chicago, IN, to “greenifiy” the campus of the steel mill and its R&D department, co-existing with 2000 nesting double-crested cormorants, etc.. (We are working with Hardashan Valia, an Indian-born metallurigcal engineer and poet.) Mittal is Indian-owned and the largest full process steel mill in North America.

* Gary, IN, has lost much of its steel employment and is now over 85% African-American, which should bring in some involvement with our Race-Ethnicity and African-American colleagues.

* East Chicago, In is a majority Latino-Latina, with next group African-American so colleagues in these language and ethnic areas may wish to consider a panel or alert colleagues near to Chicago.
Historically East Chicago was one of the most diverse lingusitic cultures in Chicago. Steve Tesich is from East Chicago, Serbian-born and Oscar-winner for best original screenplay for the film _Breaking Away_.
* Popular Culture and Post-Colonial colleagues may be involved because there is generally a post-colonial system in place when local people of color are replaced by administrators appointed remotely by the Indiana State Legistlature as is now the case of the school board of Gary, IN. It doesn’t get more pop cultural than Gary-born Michael Jackson.

Hopefully these examples show how your groups may involve themselves in Rust Belt Literature.

Until recently, there were never short stories or poems from people such as the above in our First Year Composition literature readers. So we are a discussion group with planty of room to grow.

You are all most welcome to propose papers for Chicago MLA in 2019 where we will host a Rust Belt Literature panel. Please wish us well on this endeavor.